Monday, December 1, 2008

State of the Studio #16: December '08

The music keeps flowing in the Studio. There are two projects to speak of at this time: one that has not been announced yet and the other is a newcomer to the Studio, Will Watson.

For the not-yet-announced project, work continues on many songs. And a very recent development could lead to a new musician recording with the Studio. Details on the project may be revealed soon. In addition to music, two more music videos (video 3, video 4) were produced in November. Could Metal XOR Studio release its first DVD in 2009?

Will Watson held his first recording session last week. He is the 2 year old brother of Paige Watson and son of me. The three songs were "Jingle Bells", "Old MacDonald", and the theme to the Gummi Bears TV show. I will continue to record him periodically as I did Paige so next fall we may see Will's first album.

So many projects, so little time. But progress is being made. So stay tuned to the blog for all the Metal XOR Studio news as it happens.

See you next year...

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Video File #8: Trashman and the Blood Baker "Please, Just Leave Me"

"Please, Just Leave Me" video is now online!

Trashman video 4

Today is the release of the fourth video from the new music project called Trashman and the Blood Baker. The song comes from their upcoming debut album, scheduled for release in late 2008.


Click here for the YouTube post.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Video File #7: Trashman and the Blood Baker "The Other (Live)"

"The Other (Live)" video is now online!

Trashman video 3

Today is the release of the third video from the new music project called Trashman and the Blood Baker. The song comes from their upcoming debut album, scheduled for release in late 2008.

The video was shot during a vocal recording session for a song called "Cry of the Banshee" at Attic Works Studio on Saturday, November 1, 2008. The impromptu performance was the first to use material from the upcoming album.


Click here for the YouTube post.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Studio News: Recording Session #3

The third collaborative recording session took place this afternoon (first session, second session), this time it was at Attic Works Studio again.

Banshee 1

Two things were accomplished in the two-hour session. The first was a music video of a live performance of "The Other" in the studio. This is a song from the upcoming debut Trashman and the Blood Baker album. The second was recording the main vocals to another song titled "Cry of the Banshee."

Banshee 2

Work began on this album back in September and has been going strong since. And amidst all of the writing and recording of music and lyrics, time has been found to release three videos from the upcoming album. They still plan to release the album by the end of the year, so stay tuned for all the latest news regarding this huge project.

State of the Studio #15: November '08

I can see turkey on the horizon!

The Studio was busier in October than it had planned to be with the yet-to-be announced project. In addition to all of the song writing and recording, two videos were also produced (video 1, video 2). A lot of material has been recorded for this new project, so November will see a lot of editing and hopefully completion of songs.

November may be the month when the new project gets announced. Be sure to watch this blog for any news that gets released.

I'll see you in December...

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Video File #6: Trashman and the Blood Baker "Shadow People"

"Shadow People" video is now online!

Trashman video 2

Today is the release of the second video from the new music project called Trashman and the Blood Baker. The song comes from their upcoming debut album, scheduled for release in late 2008.

The photos were taken several years ago at an old farm house near Metal XOR Studio.


Click here for the YouTube post.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Video File #5: Trashman and the Blood Baker "Carnaval des Morts"

"Carnaval des Morts" video is now online!

Trashman video

Today is the release of the first video from the new music project called Trashman and the Blood Baker. The song comes from their upcoming debut album, scheduled for release in late 2008.

The footage comes from photos taken during a local fair from the past few years and various images found on the Internet. Additional photo editing was done at Attic Works Studio.


Click here for the YouTube post.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Studio News: Recording Session #2

A recording session took place this afternoon at Attic Works Studio. It follows shortly on the heels of last week's outdoor recording session. It was the second session for the as-of-yet-unannounced project that began last month at Metal XOR Studio.

Infectant 1

Today's session consisted of vocal work on two songs. The first is entitled "Infectant" and the other is a short piece temporarily titled "Ram Rap", which sounds like a rap song from India.

Infectant 2

We managed to catch Jason between verses this afternoon and this is what he had to say about the project:

"It's coming along great. The ORC album we attempted earlier this year didn't even make it this far. I have many tracks started for this album, many are on the verge of being completed. Work is ramping up here at Attic Works also. This is a true collaborative effort between the two studios. And if we keep up this pace the album will be out before the end of the year."

Stay tuned for coverage of future recording sessions as this album continues its forward motion to completeness.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Studio News: Recording Session #1

A vocal recording session took place last night for Metal XOR's newest music project. And we were there to cover the entire event.

The Other 1

This secret project was started last month. It has employed accelerated processes for recording an entire album, hopefully to be released next month. It is a brand new project, so this album will be its debut.

Last night's session was recorded a couple of miles outside of town on an inactive country road. Under a bright half-moon, Jason and Jimmy set the recorder on the back of Jason's car, each grabbed a mic, and using an MP3 player with a headphone splitter to hear the music, they spent about an hour recording many takes of the vocals for the song titled "The Other".

The Other 2

This album will be part concept, as was demonstrated last night. There are ideas for other alternate recording methods. It is hoped that the final album will be unlike anything released by the Studio to date. And only time will tell how if these audio experiments will be successful or not.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Video File #4: Paige "Jesus Is"

Paige sang this song at church this morning. It was from this summer's Vacation Bible School program. It is called "Jesus Is". She had sung another song earlier this year before VBS began as a VBS 'sneak-peak'.



Today's videographer was her grandpa with his Canon digital camera. Daddy was operating the sound board. And Mommy was her on-stage support.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

State of the Studio #14: October '08

October is here! Fall has officially begun! This is my favorite month of the year. And things are busy in the Studio.

First, there was an unexpected album release last month. ORC held an impromptu jam session over the Internet. Eleven sons were pulled from the recording and became the new ORC EP Thru the Vent. It had a very limited release and was almost considered a novelty album, but it has made it into the official Metal XOR Musik Catalog.

Second, a new project is underway. Nothing official has been mentioned of it yet, so stay tuned to the blog for more details.

And finally, Paige's second album and the debut Equinox Dulcet album are still expected to be released by the end of the year. But due to all the recent new recordings, they have already been pushed back from their expected release dates. If 2008 doesn't see their completion, 2009 will.

So until next month, enjoy the weather! It will be cold before we know it.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Album of the Week #46: Thru the Vent

Project name: ORC
Album name: Thru the Vent
Release date: September 23, 2008
Release format: CD
Studio name: Metal XOR Studio

ORC - Thru the Vent

Tracks:
1. Mariner's Lament
2. Pruritus
3. Chicken Quest
4. Giu
5. Brown River
6. Exquisite Blackness
7. I Wish You the Best
8. Land of Make Believe
9. HipHop HobGob
10. We Go Down
11. Here We Go

On Saturday, September 20, 2008, Jason and Jimmy connected on their computers with the Voice Over IP program called Ventrilo, as they often do. That particular night Jason had his recorder going, recording everything that was said or done by either of them.

Jason started the evening by working on music for a new project. Jimmy was also playing around with his own music. When Jason finished, he started playing an online game called Vanguard. But Jimmy kept working on music.

Behind Jason's game sounds, Jimmy was playing music and singing, making up the lyrics as he went along. After a few songs Jason joined in by singing as Jimmy played his synthesizer. After they logged off for the evening, Jason went back to the recording and pulled out eleven songs that they created that night. And those eleven songs are what became this EP.

It is a short album and hardly any thought went into it, but it is the first ORC release since their debut album in 1999, Purging the Great Abyss. Their attempt at recording a new full-length album in January of 2008 ended before the album was finished. But for this latest impromptu jam, the album was released just three days after being recorded.

The Asian theme of the packaging came from the picture used on the front of the album cover, which Jimmy had as his desktop wallpaper at work for a while. They agreed the picture should be used in some way with ORC, so when it was decided to release this as an album, they already had their album cover. The rest of the packaging followed that theme.

And the title of the EP came from the fact that the music was created over the Internet using the program Ventrilo, or Vent for short.

There are more EP's of such live jam sessions in the ORC catalog. Plans are to release more of them in 2009.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Studio News: ***NEW ALBUM RELEASE ***

Metal XOR Studio is proud to announce today's release of ORC

Thru the Vent


ORC - Thru the Vent

This is the first ORC release since their debut album Purging the Great Abyss from 1999. This is a short EP of eleven songs recorded in one session over the Voice Over IP program called Ventrilo. They had no intention of recording any new songs, much less an entire album, but the recorders happened to be rolling as they goofed around that night. And this is the result.

Monday, September 1, 2008

State of the Studio #13: September '08

Summer is winding down. And for that I'm thankful. I'm ready to get fall started!

Last month saw the one-year anniversary of this blog. Over the course of that year I have posted a lot of information! It took a lot of time to research, take pictures, scan documents, set up Internet resources, and especially type all the posts. It was a nice way to compile many loose ends into one organized source.

But there are also other non-musical projects always in progress at the Studio. Some of those have been neglected over the last twelve months with this blog being at the top of the priority list. But there have been a few weekly features come to a close recently and now seems to be an appropriate time to bring some of those other projects into focus.

This site will remain the hub for all Studio projects to come, musical or not. And when new websites are created they will be listed in this site's link index. And of course all musical news will still be posted here.

So what are the Studio's plans for music for the rest of the year? Two more albums: one being the first Equinox Dulcet album and the other Paige's second album. Plans are to release the Equinox CD later this month. And plans are in the works for a possible new music project. And there are a few posts that still need to be made.

This monthly State of the Studio feature will definitely continue. And there will be an occasion Listen Online song posted at the site. But posts will decrease drastically to make time for the other projects.

And after all that, see you on October 1!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Equipment File #26: Peavey amp

Peavey Bandit amplifier

Equipment File 26

This is the guitar amp the Studio used for many years, as far back as 1990.

In the early days, this amp was used for the electric guitar, the drum machine through, and vocals. Many of the early Mune Mud songs have reverb on the drums and vocals, that reverb was from this amp.

As the Studio acquired more equipment, the amp was used less and less. When the sampler pedal was bought in 1991, that was the new unit to use for vocals. When the 4-track recorder was also purchased in 1991, drums were then recorded directly into the recorder. But the one piece of equipment that was most responsible for the amp becoming a huge paperweight was the Alesis effects unit. The guitar could go through the Alesis and get all of the amp sounds and effects, plus a whole lot more.

The amp was eventually used only for live jams. It was used to record some of the Isthmus albums and various other projects.

For the last several years the amp has been in the Studio's basement, exposed to cool damp conditions that have aged its weathered vinyl skin beyond its years. It probably still works, it just doesn't look great. Until a specific need arises, the amp will remain in the basement keeping much of the older equipment company.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Ethical Travels #7: Arun Molivar Man

Ethical Travels concludes with "Arun Molivar Man"

Click here to enter. . .

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Blog News: 1 Year Anniversary

Happy 1st Anniversary


1 cake

This blog is one year old today! 365 days and 315 posts!

I was going to open the Studio and have all the fans come over today for cake and grape juice but I forgot to buy grape juice, so I decided to cancel the celebration. Maybe next year.

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Equipment File #25: Sony receiver

Sony STR-D665 receiver

Equipment File 25

This is the second receiver the Studio has owned. The first one was also a Sony and it was bought from Studio associate Brad P in the late 80's. When that unit died, this one was bought to replace it.

The flow of audio in the Studio goes like this: all audio is funneled through a mixer into the computer. From the computer it goes into the receiver. From the receiver the audio goes to the speakers. Fairly straightforward.

The unit is still going strong today. And with a little luck it will be around for a long time to come.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Collector's Corner #28

On September 18, 1992, one of my biggest dreams (at the time) came true... I met the group Faith No More.

Collector's Corner 28

I had a friend at the time that worked for a rock music magazine. He usually got a "press pass" when bands came to town so he could go backstage and interview them. This night he had three backstage passes. He invited me and another friend to go with him.

At the time, they were the band that influenced me the most. They are mentioned in this and this previous post as a major musical influence.

The pictures we had for the band to sign were 1'x1' pasteboard album covers that were hung in music stores when new albums came out. It was a treat for fans to be able to collect those squares of their favorite bands.

So when I met them, I had each of them sign mine as such (from left to right):
  • Mike Patton (vocals) - I had him sign it to Mune Mud. I also mentioned I liked his other band, Mr. Bungle. So for that band he put the "B" in front of him.
  • Billy Gould (bass) - I had him also sign it to Mune Mud.
  • Mike Bordin - He misunderstood me when he asked how I wanted it signed. I said "To Jason... how original, huh?" and he thought I said "To Jason the Original".
  • Roddy Bottum (keyboard) - He just signed his name.
  • Jim Martin (guitar) - The band was having problems with Jim at the time, so he wasn't in with the rest of the band meeting fans. In fact, shortly after this concert he left the band. So Mike Patton drew the circle over Jim's face when I asked where Jim was.
So this little artifact is now hanging in the Hall of Fame Wing of the Metal XOR Studio Museum.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Ethical Travels #6: Temple of Ustonu

Ethical Travels continues with "Temple of Ustonu"

Click here to enter. . .

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Article: Web Log Omnibus

What is the Web Log Omnibus? It is a printed copy of the Web Log feature.

Web Log Omnibus 1

What is the Web Log feature? It is a weekly feature posted every Friday that contains twenty-five posts from this blog in .PDF format. The .PDF file is embedded in the post so the reader can scan through and read the file on the site, they can make the file full-screen so it is easier to read, or they can download the file and have a hard copy for themselves.

Each week when another post is made, the Studio prints out a hard copy. These pages are placed in two 3-ring binders which has become the paper copy of the website, organized by category. And these two binders make up the Web Log Omnibus. It also serves as a backup in case the website should ever crash.

Web Log Omnibus 2

As new Web Log features are posted (every twenty-five posts), the Web Log Omnibus will grow. Hopefully it will grow to three binders some day, then four, etc.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Web Log #12: Posts 276-300

This twelfth entry contains posts #276-300.

Read this document on Scribd: Web Log 12 (276-300)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Equipment File #24: Yamaha mixer

Yamaha MC802 mixer

Equipment File 24

This is the third mixer the Studio has used. At one point when the Studio was redesigned, it was decided to use a smaller mixer than the EV board it was had at the time. So this 8-channel board replaced it.

This is the board still in use at Metal XOR-E Studio today. After the streamlined redesign the Studio underwent in November of 2008, this board is actually overkill. But until space becomes an issue again, this will remain the Studio's mixer.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Ethical Travels #5: The Manor Court

Ethical Travels continues with "The Manor Court"

Click here to enter. . .

Friday, August 8, 2008

Web Log #11: Posts 251-275

This eleventh entry contains posts #251-275.

Read this document on Scribd: Web Log 11 (251-275)

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Equipment File #23: EV mixer

EV BK-1242 mixer

Equipment File 23

This is the second mixer the Studio used. The first was an old blue 8-channel mixer that Jason's place of unemployment was going to throw away in 1990 (no pictures are available of the first mixer). It was used for years until he was able to acquire this one several years ago.

This mixer was used to run all instruments and equipment through to the main amplifier in the Studio. It was a good board, just too big for what little space the Studio had set aside for a mixer. It has since been replaced by a smaller Yamaha mixer.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Collector's Corner #27

It was a catalog like this one that was the inspiration for the ORC song "Flying Cloud Drive" from the 1999 album Purging the Great Abyss.

Collector's Corner 27

The song was a walk through the world of new age, full of terms and lingo that they still don't fully understand to this day. They opened the catalog and chose random words that "sounded cool" for the song lyrics. The name of the song came from the company's address, it was located on Flying Cloud Drive. But the catalog pictured above is a newer catalog and has a different address.

The original catalog is believed to still be somewhere within the walls of the Studio, misplaced at the moment. But the one above is being held in its place in the Metaphysical Wing of the Metal XOR Studio Museum.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Ethical Travels #4: Club Jungle

Ethical Travels continues with "Club Jungle"

Click here to enter. . .

Friday, August 1, 2008

Web Log #10: Posts 226-250

This tenth entry contains posts #226-250.

Read this document on Scribd: Web Log 10 (226-250)

State of the Studio #12: August '08

A milestone was recently reached and another will be reached this month. The recent one was the blog's 300th post!!! That's crazy! And the upcoming milestone is the blog's one year anniversary on August 23! Watch for a special post on that day.

The biggest project at the Studio right now is the Ethical Travels feature. It will conclude at the end of the month and the first Equinox Dulcet CD will be released in the near future collecting all seven of the songs from Ethical Travels. In case you've missed it, click here to visit the Equinox Dulcet website.

The Collector's Corner feature returns this month with a few new entries. Be sure to watch for those, they're always fun to read.

The Equipment File feature will continue through this month and into next month. The list of equipment used by the Studio throughout the years is a long one, but it will be coming to an end relatively soon.

And the Web Log feature gets caught up this month. And watch for an article that will be posted explaining what the Web Log Omnibus is.

So it's business as usual here at the Studio. I'm waiting for the brutal heat of summer to leave, then fall and winter projects can be considered. See you on the first of September.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Equipment File #22: Shure SM-58 mic

Shure SM-58 microphone

Equipment File 22

This is the microphone that replaced the Shure SM-57 microphone in the late 90's. It has mainly been used to record vocals. It is still in use at the Studio today.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Blog News: 300th Post

This is post #300!!!

300

It is rapidly approaching the one-year anniversary of this blog. Not bad for originally hoping to keep it going for at least 2-3 weeks. And when I first started, I expected to post 2-3 times a week. In doing the math, I have ended up averaging more than twice that many! So I can certainly say that this blog has been a success in my mind.

As for future content... there's more to be had. And I have no doubts that I will soon be typing up #350. See you there.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Ethical Travels #3: Antikythera Mechanism

Ethical Travels continues with "Aerikythera Mechanism"

Click here to enter. . .

This Day in Studio History

It was on this date in 1996 that Metal XOR-B Studio was taken down. After nine months of use it was time to move the Studio once again. It was moved back to a prior location, the same place where Circle IX Studio had existed a couple of years earlier.

For more information on Metal XOR-B, click here to read the Studio Chapter feature that gives a detailed account of that Studio.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Web Log #9: Posts 201-225

This ninth entry contains posts #201-225.

Read this document on Scribd: Web Log 09 (201-225)

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Equipment File #21: Shure SM-57 mic

Shure SM-57 microphone

Equipment File 21

This is the microphone the Studio used starting back in 1990 with the Mune Mud debut album. It was mainly used for vocals, but occasionally it was used to mic the guitar amp for a fuller sound. It was used until the late 90's when the Studio finally got a Shure SM-58 microphone.

This mic is still in storage and ready to be used again.

Monday, July 21, 2008

This Day in Studio History

It was on this day in 1998 that Isthmus released Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 1.

Isthmus - Parabolic Dish Festival Vol 1

It's been a fast ten years!

Single #12: Ocean Body

Song name: "Ocean Body"
Album name: The Search for Metropolis
Release date: January 1, 2002

12 Single - Ocean Body

Tracks
1. Ocean Body (album version)
2. Ocean Body (demo)
3. Ocean Body (instrumental)

Song History
This was the second single from the 2001 Mune Mud album The Search for Metropolis.

The original version of the song, now referred to as the demo, was recorded in August of 1995. It was recorded during the NueroMud Nine Days Wonder sessions, but ended up being a Mune Mud song when re-recorded in July of 2000. The newer recording is what was used for the album. The album version was longer than the original, there was an extra verse after the solo and the end was longer. The song was recorded about a friend who had taken a vacation to California.

Track Breakdown
The first track is the version that appeared on the album.

The demo version of the song was actually the first version recorded five years prior to recording the album version. The ending on the demo was cut short because the 4-track master tape ran out. It was never used on an album because it didn't seem finished, but it was good enough to be the b-side to the newer complete version of the song.

The third track is the instrumental version of the album track.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Ethical Travels #2: Caravan of the Wilds

Ethical Travels continues with "Caravan of the Wilds"

Click here to enter. . .

Friday, July 18, 2008

Web Log #8: Posts 176-200

This eighth entry contains posts #176-200.

Read this document on Scribd: Web Log 08 (176-200)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

This Day in Studio History

It was on this day in 1996 that the Mune Mud album Monograph was released.

Mune Mud - Monograph

Happy 12th Anniversary!!!

Equipment File #20: Vega wireless system

Vega wireless system

Equipment File 20

The story of this wireless unit can be read in a recent post here. To summarize, in 1994 this wireless unit was accidentally purchased where I work and they had no use for it. So I bought it from them for $25. I attached the belt back to the back of my electric guitar to make the guitar wireless, but since I have always done most of my playing sitting down in the studio I soon removed the unit and continued using a cord.

This unit is in Studio storage in case it is ever needed again.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Single #11: From Cousin B

Song name: "From Cousin B"
Album name: The Search for Metropolis
Release date: December 4, 2001

11 Single - From Cousin B

Tracks
1. From Cousin B (album version)
2. Camilla
3. From Cousin B (instrumental)

Song History
This was the first single from the 2001 Mune Mud album The Search for Metropolis.

This song is a very strange mix of themes, all pulled together to tell a very strange story. The first source was from Jason's job. Doug Fleenor is a brand of lighting equipment they use where he works. The second source was from the 1953 movie The Long, Long Trailer starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. This has always been one of Jason's favorite movies, so there are lines and sound clips taken from the movie for this song. And the third source came from a Beatrix Potter story called "The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher". In fact, the title of the song comes from the way Beatrix Potter dedicated the book.


Track Breakdown
The first track is the version that appeared on the album.

Jason, his sister, and his cousin used to hunt for ghosts in their house when they were really young. His sister once had a nightmare about white mannequin people haunting their upstairs, so after some investigating they came to the conclusion that one of the ghost's name was Camilla. This song was written about Camilla and their ghost hunts. It was recorded during the Metropolis recording sessions but not used on the album.

The third track is the instrumental version of the album track.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Ethical Travels #1: Moon Spell

Ethical Travels begins with "Moon Spell"

Click here to enter. . .

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Collector's Corner #26

This is the advertisement that was emailed to promote the 2002 Mune Mud Underwater Problem Factory 10th Anniversary Edition CD Extra.

Read this document on Scribd: Collector's Corner 26

It was also included on the CD as part of the bonus content.

There was never a paper version printed so this ad will live forever in the digital domain.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Web Log #7: Posts 151-175

This seventh entry contains posts #151-175.

Read this document on Scribd: Web Log 07 (151-175)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Article: Album of the Week Summary

The weekly Album of the Week feature that has appeared every Sunday since the beginning of the blog has come to an end with Album of the Week #45. As new albums are released you can expect a new Album of the Week post to be made. Below is a complete list of the albums in the order they were featured.

#1. Mune Mud Mune Mud (debut album)
#2. Mune Mud Olympus
#3. NueroMud ...Libra 971
#4. NueroMud Nine Days Wonder
#5. NueroMorgue Devis Tortura
#6. NueroMorgue E. Phantasmata
#7. Binary Pipedream Binary Pipedream
#8. ORC Purging the Great Abyss
#9. Harry and Jason The Vintage Years Volume 1
#10. Isthmus Electric Field Donut
#11. Isthmus Lambskin Temple
#12. Isthmus New Mexico Igloo
#13. Isthmus Ideas
#14. X-Selsior One Way
#15. Isthmus Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 1
#16. Isthmus Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 2
#17. Nikki and Jason Love Songs
#18. Mune Mud Underwater Problem Factory
#19. Mune Mud Pryme Material
#20. Mune Mud Devaulted
#21. Mune Mud Monograph
#22. Mune Mud Equation of Time
#23. Mune Mud Sleep State F
#24. Mune Mud The Search for Metropolis
#25. Mune Mud Hobson's Choice
#26. Mune Mud Hobson's Second Choice
#27. Mune Mud Singles Collection
#28. The Two-Tones Heimlich Maneuver
#29. Paige Watson My First Album
#30. Mune Mud Mune Mud (re-release)
#31. --- Merry Christmas to Me
#32. --- The Deuce
#33. --- Diversity au Troi
#34. --- Quardaphonic
#35. --- Songs to Enjoy
#36. --- Best of Harry and Jason
#37. --- Best of Harry and Jason II
#38. --- Best of Darrin and Jason
#39. Mune Mud Olympus 10th Anniversary
#40. Mune Mud Underwater Problem Factory 10th Anniversary
#41. Mune Mud Pryme Material 10th Anniversary
#42. Mune Mud Equation of Time 10th Anniversary
#43. Mune Mud Sleep State F 10th Anniversary
#44. Isthmus Parabolic Dish Festival 10th Anniversary
#45. Mune Mud Precursory 33
Update
#46. ORC Thru the Vent
#47. Equinox Dulcet Ethical Travels on a Green Planet

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Equipment File #19: Josef Bremen violin

Josef Bremen violin

Equipment File 19

This violin was purchased for $50 in the mid 1990's by the Studio. It was to eventually replace the string sounds used from the keyboards but never quite achieved that much use. In fact, it was only used in one recording, "Intercostal Communication", from the 1999 ORC album Purging the Great Abyss.

It still rests in Metal XOR Storage in case the Studio needs a real violin sound again.

This Day in Studio History

It was on this day in 1996 that the first Isthmus album, Electric Field Donut, was release.

Isthmus - Electric Field Donut

Happy 12th Anniversary

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Studio News: New Host Found

I reported last month that I was having problems with the site that hosted all my audio and document files. I'm glad to announce that the problem has been solved. I have found a new site to host my files. I had to try a few different sites to find one that met my requirements, but it has been found.

Over the last week I uploaded all the files to the new site and fixed all the links that had become broken when the last host closed. So all links are back and working properly.

And in all the new linking I found a new MP3 "jukebox" for this site. It can be found in the sidebar on the right side of the page. You can play every song that has been featured on this site in the Listen Online feature. The player is too wide for the bar so it cuts some of the song titles off, but I will address that some time in the future.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Single #10: Reflection

Song name: "Reflection"
Album name: Sleep State F
Release date: November 18, 1997

10 Single - Reflection

Tracks
1. Reflection (album version)
2. One Second
3. Reflection (instrumental)

Song History
This was the second single from the 1997 Mune Mud album Sleep State F.

Jason had just watched a documentary on TV about prophecies and predictions about the end of the world. After the show finished he got up, turned the TV off, and recorded this song. The bridge in the middle of the song was taken from an unused NueroMud song from 1995 called "Midnight at ____ Bridge".

Track Breakdown
The first track is the version that appeared on the album.

Jason stayed at some relatives' house for a week while they were on vacation. He took his 4-track recorder, his guitar, his delay pedal, and a microphone and recorded four songs that week. They were basic and recorded quickly. Two of them, "Contact" and "Overfed", appeared on Sleep State F. "One Second" was one of the two unused tracks, the other being "Sepia". This was the first place this song was made available.

The third track is the instrumental version of the album track.

This Day in Studio History

On Wednesday, July 6, 1994, I found out we had a wireless microphone beltpack at work that was ordered by mistake and could not be used. I asked about it and was told I could buy it.

The next day, which was fourteen years ago today, I bought the unit for $25. I brought it home and attached it to the back of my electric guitar and used it as a wireless unit for my guitar. In theory it worked great, but since I was doing most of my guitar playing sitting down in the Studio, I took the unit off and put it in storage for future use.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Ethical Travels #0: Introduction

When I took two weeks off from work in September of 2006 for the birth of our son, I used my spare time (when he was sleeping) to record some new music. It was different than anything I had recorded before. But once the two weeks were over and I got back to real life, I lost the free time I needed to complete a new album.

The songs have been in the computer for almost two years. I don't want to wait until I eventually have time to finish the album, so I have decided to release one of the seven completed songs each Sunday for the next seven weeks in the form of a Sunday blog feature called Ethical Travels. The new music project is called Equinox Dulcet. After all seven songs have been released they will be compiled on a CD and it will be the first Equinox Dulcet EP, titled Ethical Travels. Hopefully in the future I can complete the project and release the full-length album in its entirety, titled Ethical Travels on a Green Planet.

Equinox site

I have set up a new site to document Ethical Travels and Equinox Dulcet. Click here to visit the site. Each Sunday this blog will have a link to a new song and story at the other site.

This Day in Studio History

It was on this day in 1998 that the Studio first used the audio editing software Cool Edit. With this program the songs could now be mixed down from the 4-track master into the computer and be edited with effects, cleaned up, or re-arranged. Once the songs were finished in Cool Edit they were put in a play list and the cassette copies of an album were made from that list.

Prior to this software, once a song was recorded on the 4-track master it was finished, it just needed mixed down. But now songs, or parts of the songs, could be changed after they were recorded. This new process was first used for the Isthmus album Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 1 which was released in July of 1998.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Studio News: Equinox Dulcet

Metal XOR Studio is proud to introduce

Equinox Dulcet logo

This is the newest music project at the Studio. It is a solo project from Jason that uses nothing but instruments and sounds from within the computer. The songs are new age flavored and each one sounds like it has its origin in a different culture. This project is the basis of the new weekly Sunday feature called Ethical Travels. This Sunday will be an introduction to the new feature and details how Equinox Dulcet music will be presented.

This is an exciting new project that has been in the works for nearly two years. Now is the time to share it with the world. Come back Sunday for the unveiling of this new endeavor.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Just For Fun #12

Happy July 4th


Just For Fun 12


From all of us at Metal XOR Studio

Web Log #6: Posts 126-150

This sixth entry contains posts #126-150.


Read this document on Scribd: Web Log 06 (126-150)

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Equipment File #18: Swanson flutophone

The Swanson Tonette

Equipment File 18

This instrument belonged to Jason's dad who bought it over 50 years ago when he was in grade school. Jason ended up with it in an early incarnation of the Studio and it has traveled with the Studio to all locations since.

It has only been used in two songs. The first was "Nightspell", which was on the 1996 Mune Mud album Equation of Time. The second was recorded on December 19, 1998, for the song "Cheese, You Lying Sack", an outtake from the 1999 ORC album Purging the Great Abyss.

Although it has been almost ten years since its last use, it still resides in the Studio as a permanent fixture and is always on-call to be used if the need should arise.

This Day in Studio History

It was on this day in 1998 that the publicity poster for the Isthmus album Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 1 was released.

Collector's Corner 13

You can read details about the poster here.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

State of the Studio #11: July '08

Summer is here! And I'm enjoying the air conditioning.

It seems like there is always something new starting up at the Studio. And this month is no exception. A new feature will begin soon to replace the Album of the Week. This is a sad occasion because the Album of the Week is the only weekly feature that has been around since the very beginning of the blog. But I knew this day would eventually come because there is a finite number of albums that have been released. And to tell you the truth, I had NO idea it was 45 of them!!! WOW! But the new feature to replace it is a very exciting one...

The new feature is called Ethical Travels. I won't go into details about it here, but as a teaser I will say that it will be about an entirely new music project and include new music to listen to. Watch for it in the upcoming weeks.

The Equipment File will continue. It will move into the stranger instruments that have been used.

The Singles feature will end later this month with the twelfth Mune Mud single that was released. It is hard to believe this feature ran for three months, but as with the Album of the Week I knew it would have an end for there were only twelve single released.

And the Web Log feature will come to an end at the end of the month for it will have caught up to the posts that have been made. But as each 25 new posts are released, the next volume of Web Log will also be released. And watch for an article around mid-month explaining what the Web Log Omnibus is.

And as was hinted at in last month's State of the Studio, there may be some HUGE Isthmus news coming up soon...

Meet me here in 31 days and let's see what's going on in the Studio.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Single #9: Ginkgo Biloba

Song name: "Ginkgo Biloba"
Album name: Sleep State F
Release date: October 21, 1997

09 Single - Ginkgo Biloba

Tracks
1. Ginkgo Biloba (album version)
2. Little Germany
3. Ginkgo Biloba (instrumental)

Song History
This was the first single from the 1997 Mune Mud album Sleep State F.

And then Jason was interested in herbs and herbal remedies. One aspect that interested him in particular was memory. And Ginkgo Biloba supposedly has medicinal properties to improve memory. So this song is a story about someone connecting with their Ancient Chinese past through herbal means.

Track Breakdown
The first track is the version that appeared on the album.

The second track was recorded during the Sleep State F sessions but was not included on the final album. It's a peppy, up-tempo song about Jason's German grandma. The song is full of family inside jokes and is fun to listen to.

The third track is the instrumental version of the album track.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Album of the Week #45: Precursory 33

Project name: Mune Mud
Album name: Precursory 33
Release date: April 8, 2008
Release format: CD
Studio name: Metal XOR Studio

Precursory 33

Tracks:
1. That's All I Need to Know
2. Plutonic
3. Ominous
4. Peach Tree
5. Lyric
6. Why Did You Go? v2.0
7. Harley
8. Fruit Preserve
9. Under the Sky
10. Umbra Flame
11. That's Life
12. Decomposition of a Song
13. I'll Be Here
14. I Dream
15. Go West
16. Tip 26
17. King Song
18. Just Defied
19. The One-Liner
20. Eighty-Eight II
21. We Dog
22. Suburban 70
23. Leaves Fall

When Mune Mud began recording in 1990, it was with rudimentary equipment and talent. By early 1991 there was enough material to collect onto a tape. The collection was simply called Mune Mud. Over the next couple of years Mune Mud recorded more music and released more tapes. In 1994 it was decided to re-release the original tape, so Mune Mud was was reissued.

Years went by and many more Mune Mud albums were recorded and released. It was decided in early 2008 to revisit the beginnings of the project once again. For the re-re-release of Mune Mud, the songs would be put into the computer and cleaned up, then released on CD. And for a more complete picture of the early music, songs from the original Mune Mud were used along with some songs from the 1994 Mune Mud EP Devaulted, which was a small collection of unused material from the debut Mune Mud album.

So when the songs were chosen and cleaned up in the computer, it was time for packaging. It has been confusing over the years to refer to the original 1991 Mune Mud album (usually refered to as the debut album) and the 1994 version (usually referred to as the re-release), since they were both called Mune Mud. So a new name for this release was needed. That is why this album of previously used material has a new name.

This album also had a Studio first... a website for the album. On the website you can read the history of the album and listen/download most of the songs. You can visit the website here.

The end.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Web Log #5: Posts 101-125

This fifth entry contains posts #101-125.


Read this document on Scribd: Web Log 05 (101-125)

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Equipment File #17: Nexus MIDI switcher

Nexus MIDI switcher

Equipment File 17

This was purchased in the big Studio upgrade in June of 1993. As stated in a previous post, the biggest change in the Studio at that time was the implementation of MIDI. The Studio now had several pieces of equipment that was MIDI capable: a synthesizer, a drum machine, an effects unit, a sequencer, a sound module, and eventually the Studio computer itself. So it became clear that with all of those MIDI inputs and outputs something was needed to control and manage it all.

And that is where this little gem came in. It allowed up to three MIDI inputs (or triggers) to control up to eight different outputs. So with the flick of a switch, the synthesizer could go from controlling the sound module to triggering sounds from the drum machine. And just as easily, the sound module could be triggered by either the synthesizer or the drum machine with the flick of a switch.

So this unit provided the flexibility needed for the MIDI set-up the Studio used for many years. But the switcher was recently retired since the only MIDI now in use by the Studio is the synthesizer acting as a trigger for all instrument and drum sounds in the computer. And that is accomplished by the use of one MIDI cable.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Single #8: One Night

Song name: "One Night"
Album name: Equation of Time
Release date: October 8, 1996

08 Single - One Night

Tracks
1. One Night (v2.0) (album version)
2. One Night (v1.0)
3. One Night (v2.0) (instrumental)

Song History
This was the second single from the 1996 Mune Mud album Equation of Time.

Jason had a group of friends over one night. Even though it was after midnight when they left, he wanted to record a new song. So he recorded "One Night". The song was good, but could have been better. So he re-recorded the song with better vocals (still ad-libbed as the original version was) and slight changes in the composition. It was the second version (v2.0) that was used for the album.

Track Breakdown
The first track is the version that appeared on the album.

The second track was the original version of the song. It could also be considered the demo for the album version.

The third track is the instrumental version of the album track.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Album of the Week #44: PDF 10th Anniversary

Project name: Isthmus
Album name: Parabolic Dish Festival 10th Anniversary Edition
Release date: May 22, 2008
Release format: CD
Studio name: Metal XOR Studio

PDF 10th Anniversary Edition

Tracks:
Disc 1 - see Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 1
Disc 2 - see Parabolic Dish Festival Volume 2
Disc 3 - various

It wasn't long after the first two volumes were originally released in 1998 and 1999 that talks began of a deluxe edition since there was so much extra content recorded and not used for the original two albums. So the project was started. Soon things got hectic and it was put on the back burner. A few years later it was worked on again, but it still was not finished.

Fast forward to 2008. The band was eagerly awaiting the release of the new Indiana Jones movie on May 22. And there were talks of possibly recording a new Isthmus album in June. So Harry said what would inspire him the most for another jam session would be the release of the Parabolic Dish Festival Deluxe Edition.

By coincidence, the date they recorded the album was May 22, 1998, exactly ten years to the day prior to the new Indiana Jones release. Jason dug up the material that was ready for the project and cleaned it up. Could it be done by May 22?

The new packaging was going to be adventure-themed since it was being released on the same day Indiana Jones was coming out. But due to time constraints, the only thing that remains of the adventure theme is the title font on the front cover. It was decided to go with a space theme for the rest of the packaging.

So the album did release on May 22, the first Metal XOR Studio album not released on a Tuesday. It contained 3 CD's, one for each of the original Volumes and a third that contained all the bonus content in the form of MP3's and PDF's. Being a multi-disc album was also a first for the Studio.

The band has been inspired to record the next album. Now it is a matter of getting their three schedules to allow for a recording session. And as of now, July looks promising.

Since the album was rather rushed to be completed by the May 22 deadline, there were some things that did not make it in this edition. So there are already plans for a bigger, much more complete edition to be released some time in the future. Let's hope it doesn't take another ten years for this one to be released!


Next week's Album of the Week: Precursory 33 by Mune Mud from 2008.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Studio News: New Website

Metal XOR Studio presents a new website...

The Time Door Is Closing

Time Door blog

The new site has nothing to do with music. It is a collection of memories and stories from Jason's past. There will be a new story every Monday and Friday, so stop by and read about events that helped make Jason what he is today.

* A link to the site is included in the Studio Links section on the right side of this page.

Web Log #4: Posts 76-100

This fourth entry contains posts #76-100.


Read this document on Scribd: Web Log 04 (76-100)

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Equipment File #16: Boss mixing board

Boss BX-8

Equipment File 16

It was in May of 1990 when the Studio received its first mixing board. It was an old, dirty board that was going to be thrown away where Jason worked. So he took it home and used it in the multi-track experiments with his home stereo (early Mune Mud).

In late 1991, after he bought the 4-track recorder and upgraded his keyboard to the Casio keyboard, it was time to upgrade the mixer. This little 8-channel Boss mixer was made to be used with keyboards but he has run all his instruments and equipment through it over the years.

And now in Metal XOR-E, it is currently being used as the funnel for his computer input. All instruments and equipment run to this board and the board goes into the computer. It is simple and efficient and will be the way the Studio is set up for quite some time.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Single #7: Summer Song

Song name: "Summer Song"
Album name: Equation of Time
Release date: September 10, 1996

07 Single - Summer Song

Tracks
1. Summer Song (album version)
2. Winter Song
3. Summer Song (instrumental)

Song History
This was the first single from the 1996 Mune Mud album Equation of Time.

Jason was renting a small farmhouse with his friend Darrin when this song was recorded. It was a nice, sunny, warm March Sunday and Jason decided to record a song about the upcoming season. With the Studio window open, letting the cool breeze blow in, the song was recorded. It was recorded as the opposite of "Winter Song", which was recorded two months earlier during a snowstorm.

Track Breakdown
The first track is the version that appeared on the album.

The second track was recorded two months before the first. It was recorded in January on a day that took him almost two hours to drive home from work because of a heavy snow storm. As soon as he got home he called his boss and said he would not be in to work the next day either. And to make things worse, the power went off for a little while. So when the power came back on he recorded this song. The song did appear as a bonus track on the Equation of Time 10th Anniversary Collection.

The third track is the instrumental version of the album track.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

This Day in Studio History

It was on this day in 1996 that the Mune Mud album Monograph was recorded.

Mune Mud - Monograph

This is the only "live" solo album recorded to date. It was "live" because Jason sung all the songs live to the pre-recorded music in one take. The music was from the original 4-track master tapes, so the only thing new were the vocals. Most of the songs came from the 1991 album Olympus and many others were preview songs for the upcoming Equation of Time album.

Hopefully this won't be the last "live" solo album.